Watching
by Yoko Black
Summary: Can watching the boy you hate teach you how to care?


**Title: Watching**

**By: Yoko Black**

**Rating: T**

**Genre: Friendship**

**Summery: Can watching the boy you hate teach you how to care?**

**Watching**

My job was simple. _"Watch Harry Potter."_ That was all I was given. I had to hold back a laugh when I heard the news. I had been watching Potter. For the past six years I had watched Potter like it was an obsession. Now it was my job. Well, it should be an easy one.

I looked up at the boy sitting at the Gryffindor table, sandwiched between his two friends. I still couldn't understand it. How could a boy choose a Mudblood and a blood-traitor as friends? I would have thought that Potter was smarter then that, but the boy had immediately knocked my hand away on the train first year, after I insulted Weasley.

Did what I said really effect eleven years old Harry Potter that much? I couldn't understand why Harry was so angry. I insulted Crabbe and Goyle all the time but the two didn't do anything about it.

I sighed, got up and walked out the Hall. Unfortunately my route took me very close to the Gryffindor table and I overheard Potter's conversation with Granger and Weasley.

"…..And she was actually glad I had found a friend my first year. Think about it! My aunt Petunia was actually proud of me. I had never had a friend before you guys and she was proud. Dudley even wants to meet you guys, properly I mean. You exploding into the house for the Quidditch World Cup don't count, Ron."

The three laughed as I walked past them and out of the Hall. So that was why Potter got so angry. He had never had a friend before. And his relatives have never been proud of him? What kind of man was he?

My next encounter with Potter was an unexpected one. I had just come out of Potions with the rest of my "friends" and was heading down the hall when Nott called out to a Slytherin first year passing by.

"Hey, kid, hold my books," he called. I glanced over and saw Potter and his two friends stop to see what was happening.

"But I'm going the other way," said the kid.

"Like I care," said Nott. "I'm a senior student, so you do what I say, and I say carry my books." And he dumped his books in the kid's arms. The kid gasped under the weight and struggled to hold both his and Nott's books up. Nott started to walk away and the kid followed in embarrassment, till a hand on the shoulder stopped him.

"Carry your own books, Nott," called a voice and all the Slytherins looked over to see Potter standing next to the kid with his hand on the kid's shoulder. He held a glare at Nott, one of annoyance rather then irritation that he usually sent to me. Everyone looked at him in surprise, Slytherins and Gryffindors.

"What did you say," growled Nott. Potter just calm too Nott's rucksack from the boy's shoulder and threw it at Nott. Nott, having not played a sport in his life, missed the catch and the rucksack landed heavily on his mid-section, knocking the wind out of him.

"Carry your own damn books, Nott," yelled Potter. "He's not going your way so leave him alone. Besides, a little exercise will do you good."

All the Gryffindors laughed at that. Even I had to give a soft chuckle to that. Nott was getting a bit pudgy.

Nott growled, dropped his bag and reached for his wand but Potter was quicker. In less then the five seconds it took Nott to make his action Potter had already moved in front of Nott with _his_ wand between Nott's eyes.

"Don't even think about it," growled Potter, a venomous look in his eye. Nott nodded and stepped away. Potter put his wand back in the inside pocket of his robe and walked away, Weasley and Granger following him. My House mates left too but I stayed and watched Potter leave.

A Gryffindor defended a Slytherin in front of both Houses. That kind of act had never been done before, even with Gryffindor chivalry. Standing up against Slytherins was common enough, but standing up against a Slytherin for a Slytherin was something new.

Potter certainly was a person worth watching.

And so I watched. I watched him eat, I wanted his study, and I watched him bicker with his friends. I even watched his Quidditch practice under the stands. I had to admit he was a good leader. He quickly settled arguments and went to Weasley for strategic advice. Both made a pretty good team and both instinctively knew it.

The next time I saw Potter was when I was walking across the courtyard to the Library. Two Ravenclaw first years were folding a piece of paper when Potter walked up and spotted them.

"What are you doing," he asked. The two looked up at him.

"We're making origami," said one. "Hermione Granger showed us how, but we're not very good."

"We were thinking of using magic," said the second.

"If you use magic to make something that can be done with your hands, it'll be like cheating," said Potter taking the paper and started folding it, with his hands. "That's what I think. Magic is the easy way out of something. Try it hard a few times before you use magic."

Potter had finished the origami when he finished speaking and he held up a perfect paper crane. Taking out his wand, he magiked it alive and it flew around the first years' heads.

"Teach us!" they called happily. "Teach us how to make origami, Harry Potter!"

And he did. He proceeded to show them how to make the origami cranes till they got them moderately right. And I watched him the whole time. His face, through bright and smiling, was a sad reflection of what the outside world was. Inside I knew he was sad, lonely. Why and how I knew I didn't know. I just did. Maybe it was because I've watched him for so long.

Why was he sad? He had friends. Right? He had Weasley and Granger, true, but they didn't really understand what he went through. I watched him as he went through his hardships and Father had told me the way his relatives treated him. I knew Potter better then anyone. He was a friend to everybody, but he had none for himself.

Did I even have friends? Crabbe and Goyle only stay around me because their parents told them too. Blaise and Pansy could be considered my friends, I've known them since I was a baby, but even they kept secrets from me. Did I have any friends who would stay with me till the end when I needed it, like Potter had Weasley and Granger?

I ran Potter words over in my head for hours afterwards. He saw magic as cheating if you could do it with your hands? Maybe it was a bit like cheating. I had been taught to use magic for everything. Eating, bathing, everything for everyday life. But what if I was good at something that didn't require magic? What if I didn't have to cheat?

So I guess it came as a surprise to Pansy and Blaise to find several ripped and badly fold paper scatter around me a few days later in the Common Room.

"Drake man, what are you doing," asked Blaise.

"What does it look like I'm doing, genius," I said tossing another ruined attempted. To say I was a bit irritated that I couldn't get it perfect was an understatement but I was determined to succeed. "I'm making a crane."

"Can't you use your wand," asked Pansy, taking out hers. "It'll be easier."

"No!" I grabbed her wrist before she could cast the spell. "I want to try it this way. I don't want to cheat."

"Cheating? With magic?" asked Blaise. "Since when have you thought of magic cheating?"

But I didn't hear him. I was too intent on making the crane. Okay, fold this corner. Smooth out this curve. Fold this in. Pull this out.

A few minutes later I was looking at a perfect white paper crane.

"I did it!" I yelled and scared a few of the students.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few days later every one walked into the Great Hall fill with origami cranes and butterflies, flying around the ceiling in a colorful rainbow. Everyone watched in amazement, even the teachers. One green crane flew towards Harry and landed lightly in his hands. Opening it he read the message.

"_Will you let me be your friend?"_

And it was signed with just a picture of a silver Chinese dragon.

"What could that mean," asked Ron. "Have you got a secret friend, Harry?"

Harry looked around the room as the origami flew around. A few had already lost the magic that animated them and fell to the floor. A few students picked them up as mementos, and a certain Malfoy was fingering a green butterfly. The Slytherin looked over at Harry and smirked, but not his regular smirk. It was a proud accomplished one.

"You know all my friends, Ron," said Harry with a smile. All three sat down and began their day, Harry keeping the crane in his pocket the whole time.

That night a red crane flew into the Slytherin Common Room and landed on Malfoy's lap. He opened it to read the message. All it said was _"Yes"_ and signed with a gold lightening bolt.

**END**

**Not very long, I know, and probably not very well written, but I had this idea in my head for a while and I wanted to write it down. I wanted to write a story were Malfoy learns that Harry's like any other person. And what better way then by observation. Feed back is mandatory. **


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